Wanderers Through the Years
by kaleidoscope phantasmagoria
Summary: Companion series for 'The Adventures of Lilly the Wanderer'. A series of one-shots & drabbles. WARNING: Contains spoilers for 'Lilly the Wanderer'. Summary: Lilly has always collected bounty posters. When asked why...
1. Of Unspoken Words & New Beginnings

Anyway, here is the first of (what I hope to be many) one-shots and drabbles. These have a T blanket rating to make room for whatever comes up.

**Disclaimer: **One Piece is not mine. But my OCs are.

**AN1:** Okay, I know that I haven't put the second chapter out yet. I suck, I know. I just really don't like Buggy so I'm lacking on motivation here. And my mother wants me to take a special test so I'll be moving up two grades instead of just one. So that is not helping the problem of my slow updates, but I can work on one-shots since they're way shorter than chapters.

**AN2: **I'm working on making my chapters longer (right now they're around 4,000 words, I'm trying to hop them up to around 7,500 - 8,500)so that is also slowing down the time between updates. This takes place when Lilly is 18.

Summary: A bittersweet moments, a goodbye, and a new beginning.

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Lilly continues to lean against the building, she doesn't know what the building is, nor does she care. She takes a drag from her cigarette, watching as the smoke curls and floats upward. She distractedly fiddles with the lighter in her hand, trying to resist the urge to adjust the medium length, caramel colored wig she is wearing. She can feel the envelope that will finalize _Mira's_ death, hidden up her black leather jacket sleeve.

_He_ was supposed to be here. _He_ should have been here three minutes ago.

She pretends not to notice when a brunette man, the brunette man she has been waiting on leans up against the same wall, a meter away from her, right next to a metal waste basket. He pulls out a cigarette and reaches into his pocket for a lighter. His hand scours his pocket longer than it should take to retrieve a lighter. He frowns slightly and looks over to Lilly, his eyes not betraying the fact that this meeting had been planned.

"Got a light?", he drawls in that laid back tone he's known for.

Lilly glances at him and nods her head once before reaching out her now lit lighter. The end of the cigarette burns hot and bright, a contrast with the dark night sky and cool air. He takes a long drag before breathing the smoke back out, making sure it looks like his eyes are focused on the smoke and the way it curls and floats when he's really watching his surroundings, making sure that _they_ aren't on to them. He glances at Lilly out of the corner of his eye before sighing quietly in a tired tone.

"You still want to do this?", he asks in his relaxed tone, making sure the volume of his voice doesn't allow others to listen in on the conversation, and making sure that his mouth moves as little as possible to make sure no one reads his lips.

Lilly smirks slightly, almost bitterly, knowing he would ask that, and knowing why he asked that. This was her last chance of sorts, if she stuck to the plan and left this meeting there was no going back. Lilly adjusts her black pinstriped fedora, to distract anyone who may be listening or watching, so they don't notice the nod of her head in response to the mans question. She takes one last drag from her cigarette, making sure to savor it because she knows that this is probably one of the last ones she'll ever have.

She adjusts her arm ever so slightly so the envelope holding the brunette's payment slides out, being sure to angle her arm and hand just right so no one could see the envelope. Lilly straightens up and walks towards the metal waste basket to throw her cigarette butt away, her black stiletto heels clicking against the stone ground. Lilly stops right in front of the brunette, leaning down a bit to rub out the still burning cigarette on the rim of the waste basket with her right hand and tossing it in. As Lilly is tossing away the cigarette butt the man leans up off the wall and bumps in to her, taking the envelope with his payment and slipping a folded piece of paper into her hand as he does so.

Lilly hears a murmured apology. She knows that he isn't talking about bumping into her.

_Sorry that I couldn't do more for you._ Are the unspoken words.

Lilly smiles slightly as she looks up at him, giving a hushed assurance that it's fine. He knows she isn't talking about him bumping into her.

_I'm fine, don't worry about me._ Are the unspoken words.

Their eyes connect for a second, before quickly looking away from each other. Lilly could easily see that he didn't want things to end this way. But this was for the best, they both knew that. This was the only way for Lilly to get out of this unscathed and alive.

She can't deny the somber feeling in her stomach, but she also can't deny the liberated feeling in her chest. The feelings of leaveing an entire life behind and having to start from scratch, the feeling of being able to start over, to not be tied down by what she has done as _Mira_.

Lilly walks past the brunette knowing the chances of ever seeing him again are slim. Lilly already knows what's on the piece of paper he handed her. The details of her 'death', a few sentences saying goodbye, and possibly a few den den mushi numbers of some people that could help her out. She knows she needs the help too, she has to get back to the East Blue, to lay low for awhile, before heading to the Grand Line. She makes a mental note to memorize the letter and burn it, as she stuffs her hands into her pockets of her leather pants.

Lilly can feel the initials engraved on the silver lighter inside her pocket as she runs a finger over it. Back then, Lilly hadn't understood what the lighter had been bought for when it had first been bought. When Lilly had asked she had been told that it was in celebration of a new beginning. She didn't entirely understand what that meant at the time.

But now, as Lilly thinks back, feels like she finally understands. Her lips curl up into a small, bittersweet smile.

_I finally understand now._ Are the unspoken words.

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Alright, I hope that wasn't too horrendous. At least this wasn't Oh-my-god-I-can-feel-my-brain-cells-dying bad. And for anyone who didn't understand this, _Mira_ is Lilly, and this is about faking her own death so she can... I don't plan on spoiling why she had to fake her own death yet. I would love to hear from any of my readers. Reviews always make me smile.


	2. Bounty Posters

Here's the second piece of Tales of a Wanderer. Enjoy!

Spoilers: Not really all that spoiler-ish. It just introduces another one of my OCs and what he _was_ going to do with his life.

Summary: Lilly has always collected bounty posters. When asked why...

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Lilly collected bounty posters. She'd been doing it since she was four.

If anyone had asked her four year old self why, she would have looked at them blankly and said as if it were obvious.

_So I'll know who the strongest pirates are._

When asked why she needed to know that she would give them the same look and reply in the same tone.

_So I'll know who Nicholas has to beat._

When asked why Nicholas has to beat these people she would give them an exasperated and annoyed look and say.

_Because he's gonna be the Pirate King._

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Wow, my first drabble. Exactly 100 words too. This was actually supposed to be a one shot that focused completely on Lilly and no one else but it somehow morphed into this. And as for who Nicholas is... you'll find out in the next couple fics of Tales of a Wanderer. I plan to have this drabble be elaborated on in the actual story before they get to the Baratie.

The current tally for my poll for who to pair Lilly with has Ace in the lead with 2 votes, Franky with 1 vote, and an OC with 1 vote. If the guy you want to see Lilly with isn't in the poll than leave your choice in a review or PM me.

I'm working on the second chapter but I'm having a lot more inspiration for these than I am the story right now, so it'll be a while. Reviews and constructive criticism are appreciated!


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